Busting Brackets
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SEC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2019-20 season

By Matthew Travis

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 17: The Auburn Tigers hold the winner's trophy after the 84-64 win against the Tennessee Volunteers during the final of the SEC Basketball Championships at Bridgestone Arena on March 17, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 17: The Auburn Tigers hold the winner's trophy after the 84-64 win against the Tennessee Volunteers during the final of the SEC Basketball Championships at Bridgestone Arena on March 17, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MARCH 28: Head coach Rick Barnes of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts against the Purdue Boilermakers during overtime of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MARCH 28: Head coach Rick Barnes of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts against the Purdue Boilermakers during overtime of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

team. 534. . . . Volunteers . 8

Coming off one of the best seasons in program history, the Tennessee Volunteers will be looking to emulate that going into the 2019-20 season. Unfortunately for the Vols though, they no longer have Admiral Schofield, Grant Williams and Jordan Bone who were the three best players for Tennessee last season.

What this means is that the team who takes the court next season in Knoxville will not at all be the team that took the court last season. The good news, however, is that Josiah James, the 26th overall recruit in the Class of 2019 will be suiting up for the Volunteers next season.

James is a 6’6″ 200lb point guard out of Charleston, South Carolina and he will have the opportunity to show the SEC and the nation what he is made of on this new look Tennessee squad.

Alongside James will be the Vols best returning player, Lamonte Turner who will be playing his final season in Knoxville this season. Turner was a large part of the Volunteers offense last season averaging 11.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Getting Turner back and taking away Williams, Schofield and Bone will mean Turner will take on a much bigger role next season on both offense and defense. Another player who will take on a bigger role next season will be Jordan Bowden who will also be playing his final season in Knoxville.

Bowden, like Turner, was big for the Vols last season as he averaged 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Being one of the only big-name players returning for Tennessee next season means that he will undoubtedly find the ball in his hands more than he had last season.

So with Turner and Bowden both back, plus the addition of Josiah James, who will be the best player for Tennessee next season?

You can expect Lamonte Turner to fill the role of leading scorer and top player next season in Knoxville as he will take on a much bigger role without Williams, Schofield and Bone. Turner was great as it was last season even though he was the fourth option and that being said you can only imagine what he will do as the top option.

James will also have a big season next year for Tennessee and depending on his performance you may just see him leave for the draft after year one.

So with that, the question becomes what will Tennessee’s record be next season and will they make the tournament a year after many thought they could win it?

The Volunteers will get through non-conference play with a 10-4 record after tough games against Kansas, Purdue, Florida State, Memphis, Washington and Cincinnati. SEC play on the other hand, the Vols will lose six games ultimately finishing with a 12-6 record against conference opponents.

This means Tennessee finishes with a 22-10 record heading into the SEC Tournament which will undoubtedly mean the Volunteers will make the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season.

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